LET THE RIGHT ONE IN Kicks Off 2023-24 Season at Le Petit Theatre

Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré is excited to kick off the theatre’s exhilarating 107th season with five diverse shows ranging from beloved classics, edgy plays, Shakespearean wit and an inspiring journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“We have an incredible season filled with vampires, charlatans, poets, drunkards, and, of course, Carole King,” said Producing Executive Director for Le Petit Don-Scott Cooper.

“I’m inspired by the breadth and variety of the works we are bringing audiences this season,” said Le Petit Artistic Director A.J. Allegra. “When we say we have something for everyone, we truly mean it.”

Le Petit will open its 2023-24 season with LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, a story that is part of a brutal vampire tale and a tender coming-of-age love story adapted from the best-selling novel and award-winning film. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., with a preview night on Oct. 5th and opening on Oct. 6th. The play runs through Oct. 22nd.

The play is directed by Salvatore Mannino, who previously directed two Le Petit productions last season, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Heading the cast are Dalton Major as Oskar and Caylee Sanders as Eli. Joining them are Mike Harkins (Hakan), Wendy Miklovic (Mum), Andrew Hagen (Jonny) and Derek Boudreaux (Micke). Ryan Hayes, Nick Strauss and Kevin Wheatley round out the cast, playing several roles.

Written by Jack Thorne, based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN tells the story of Oskar, a lonely boy bullied at school and ignored at home. Eli is the mysterious young girl who moves in next door but doesn’t attend school and rarely leaves home. These two young misfits sense a kindred spirit in each other, forging a deep friendship. When mysterious killings plague their neighborhood, the shocking truth about one of them tests their friendship —and budding love—beyond imaginable limits.

“We are so excited to bring vampires to the French Quarter in October,” said Cooper. “Many people are fans of the popular Swedish novel and film, but experiencing this story live on stage is hair-raising! I hope New Orleans is ready for this.” 

Along with Mannino, the creative team includes Madison Smith as Assistant Director with Joey Moro (Scenic Design), Kaci Thomassie (Costume Design), Rachel Levy (Lighting Design), Nick Shackleford (Sound Design), James Lanius (Video/Projection Design) and Ellen Bull (Properties Master).

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN contains scenes depicting violence, murder and partial nudity. This production is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Coming up this 2023-24 Season at Le Petit 

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? January 11 - 28, 2024

The classic Edward Albee play WHO’S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf? is an intense and volatile story of the frailties of marriage and the overlap of reality and illusion. Recipient of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play, a boozy marital meltdown occurs as the drinks flow and inhibitions melt away in this classic story of seduction, drama and despair. 

In 1962, when Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? stunned its first Broadway audiences with its radical, provocative and unflinching portrait of a marriage, Edward Albee instantly became his generation’s most influential American playwright. 

This is one production you don’t want to miss, as Le Petit says it will be like no other version you’ve seen before. Tommye Myrick will direct this production.

Beautiful: The Carol King Musical March 7 - 31, 2024

Carole King wrote the music for an entire generation, including such classics as “I Feel the Earth Move,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Beautiful.” Before she was hit-maker Carole King - she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice.

The Tony and Grammy Award-winning BEAUTIFUL: THE Carol King MUSICAL tells the inspiring true story of the singer/songwriter’s incredible journey from teenage songwriter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil; book by Douglas McGrath; music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing; licensed by Music Theatre International.

Born With Teeth Apr. 25th - May 12th, 2024

In Liz Duffy Adams’ punk-edged play, BORN WITH TEETH, we’ll see a dramatization of the writing collaboration between theatre titans William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. 

The theatre rock star Marlowe and up-and-comer Shakespeare meet in the back room of a pub to collaborate on a historical play while navigating the perils of an oppressive police state and a restless, polarized people. They’ll flirt like young men with everything to lose as they face off with wits instead of fists and words of love instead of blood. It’s a comedy of Elizabethan proportions.

The Importance of Being Earnest June 6 - 23, 2024

Oscar Wilde’s madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements and lovers’ entanglements Will Close out the season. Over a century after its publication, Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is still one of the wittiest comedies in English and continues to delight audiences across the globe. Le Petit Artistic Director A.J. Allegra will direct this production.

Brimming with biting humor and sly social commentary, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST follows the antics of two upper-crust London gentlemen, Algernon “Algie” Moncrieff and John “Jack” Worthing. As an inside joke, the friends share an alter ego: an enigmatic ladies’ man named Ernest. However, what begins as a harmless charade quickly spirals beyond the men’s control, threatening to sabotage their respective reputations and romances. 

Season tickets for the 2023-24 productions are available now on Le Petit’s website at lepetittheatre.com.

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